


Keith Genuary Day 2: Kosmo

by sunshinehime



Series: Keith's Gen-Uary Event 2019 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Blood, First Meetings, Gen, Keith & Krolia (Voltron) on the Space Whale, Quantum Abyss (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 04:12:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17276861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinehime/pseuds/sunshinehime
Summary: The mysterious space wolf comes into Keith's life during his time in the Quantum Abyss, a chance encounter after he and Krolia are separated during a particularly nasty hunt.





	Keith Genuary Day 2: Kosmo

**Author's Note:**

> My first post for the Keith Genuary challenge, starring everyone’s favorite adorable space wolf.

Keith hates crying. He hates the hitch in his throat, the burn in his cheeks and chest and eyes, the wetness that wells up and threatens to spill over. Crying is an act of pain, something he wants no part of.

Here on the lonely space whale in the Quantum Abyss, he has no choice. He only has his estranged mother to keep him company, someone as awkward and quiet as him, during the worst of the forced memory flashes. In the beginning, when he knows the tears are inevitable, he flees leaving behind an excuse and a woman with sadness in her eyes. Then he’s alone and the tears fall in huge clumps. And his heart never feels any lighter.

The mysterious space wolf comes into his life a few months in, a chance encounter after Keith and Krolia are separated during a particularly nasty hunt. He spots a bloody trail in the brush and follows it through bushes, the leaves coated with dark blood, finding a small cave.

Keith has never owned a pet but he still has a soft spot for animals and his heart clenches at the sight. A wolf-like creature the size of a grizzly bear with long, thick blue streaks of fur is curled up in a tight ball. And there’s blood. A lot of blood. Matting its beautiful dark mane and sluggishly pooling around it on the cavern stone.

He approaches with careful, light steps but the wolf doesn’t react, even when he’s mere inches away. Until he sees a very small bundle of fur crying and shivering in the center. Keith reaches a hand out and touches the larger wolf’s muzzle.

Ice cold. It’s dead.

Keith swallows a lump in his throat. It must have been the same creature he just fought that killed this one, judging from the wounds and gorges in the ground around them. He moves on to the tiny pup, who at this point has risen its head to stare at whoever approached it. He slowly brings a finger to its nose and holds it there until the pup tentatively sniffs, getting used to his scent.

Once the sniffing stops, Keith lifts his hand and puts light pressure on the top of its head. A ghost of a pat that the pup can easily move away from. The opposite happens and it leans its head into Keith’s hand.

Until this point Keith has been laser-focused on his movements, cautious of scaring the poor thing. But when it practically heat butts his palm, a small smile forms on his lips as he scratches its soft fur. A sudden thought hits him and he speaks before he can talk himself down. “You wanna come with me?”

The pup immediately freezes and looks up, as if considering those words. About a year or so ago back on Earth Keith would have dismissed such a thing as ridiculous but, after encountering so many fantastic aliens, he wouldn’t be surprised if the little one could truly understand him.

A sudden whine brings Keith out of his thoughts and he focuses again, seeing the pup rest its muzzle on its parent’s fur. He sighs, heart heavy at the sight. “I’m sorry but. They’re gone now.” The whining is louder now, accompanied by shivering. Keith scratches its head and whispers “I know how you feel. I lost my dad too.” A painful swallow. “It-it hurts a lot.” Then he asks again, “Do you want to come with me? I’m with my, my mom and I know what it’s like to be alone so…”

The pup lifts its head again and gives Keith a long look with its soulful yellow eyes. Keith reaches over and gently lifts the pup up and away from its parent’s still body, cradling it against his chest. The pup leans in at first, then whimpers in distress and looks over at the lying wolf. Keith looking back between the two until he’s hit with realization. “Right, we shouldn’t leave it--your parent there like that.” He lowers the pup to the ground and looks for some shrubbery and flowers to cover the body with.

At this point Krolia appears, rustling the bushes as she passes through them. “So this is where you were hiding. I saw the blood and was worried--” she cuts off and Keith looks up from his task, following her line of sight back to the pup and the blood-covered body. He sighs. “I’m looking for something to cover the little guy’s parent with.”

Something in Krolia’s expression changes, softens and she wordlessly walks over to help out. Keith is a bit surprised, expecting some comment or other about how it isn’t efficient or worthwhile. ‘Guess I learned a little more about her.’ And they work in silence, two bright yellow eyes watching from near the cave.

Sometime later, the pup’s parent is properly covered with various grasses, leaves and branches. A few beautiful pale blue flowers lay in the very center of the pile. The little wolf howls then rests its head on the soft fur. Big, fat drops of tears, the color of pink pearls, trail down its face and soak the fur underneath.

Keith’s chest clenches at the sight and he’s overcome with the image of his father’s tombstone swimming and blurring. He feels Krolia wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him close to her, his head resting on her chest.

Thick tears pool out his own eyes and wet her clothes but she still cradles his head, now with both arms. As he quietly cries with the wolf pup, his body feels almost weightless, and his heart is slightly lighter. He hates crying a little less.

**Author's Note:**

> This is what I've been prepping for since last month, mainly because I'm the world's slowest writer and needed extra time to set things up. I won't be doing every single challenge day but I'll write as much as I possibly can.
> 
> As usual please feel free to share any comments, criticisms, or questions with me!


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